


A She-Wolf meets a Dragon and a White Star

by AugustStories



Series: Howling at the Stars [29]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: A look into the past, First Meeting, The Knight of the Laughing Tree, harrenhall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 03:04:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15986267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AugustStories/pseuds/AugustStories
Summary: Lyanna had a plan but even in her wildest dreams she couldn't have imagined that her little stunt would draw the ire of the Mad King so much. And now here she was, drawn into the bushes by an amused Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms and stared at by a Kingsguard who has less claws than a kitten.That's where it started.Everything.--Can be read entirely independent of Howling at the Stars





	A She-Wolf meets a Dragon and a White Star

**Author's Note:**

> So while I keep on finishing the next chapter for Blood of the First Men (four scenes to go, keep fingers crossed for inspiration to not break off), I wanna kidnap you into the past again and try my version of Harrenhall and all the events that happened there. I've already hinted at some during the run of the series and all its works but this is now a series of oneshots within the Howling At the Stars series. You don't have to read this to follow the plot of Jon's story. This is just me wanting to finally post ideas I've had a long time ago and I wanted to write Lyanna and Rhaegar and their POVs a little, too.

Lyanna froze, heart and breaths stopping for a moment, when hands suddenly grasped her from behind and pulled her into the hollow of a large fallen over tree. One arm going around her waist to hold onto her, the other hand over her mouth to keep any surprised and alarmed noises from slipping out. 

Lyanna panicked but willed her mind to keep from slipping off, fighting against the urge to struggle, she needed to think. Her captor was clearly stronger than her and she didn't see much chance of breaking free of his hold, so playing along for the moment until she saw an out sounded like the better option. She couldn't even raise her leg high enough to kick him where it hurt them the most.

She glanced down, saw expensive polished boots and with her still bare feet, it wouldn't do her any good to stomp on his feet, it would only hurt her. And then her mind went blank all over again when she caught sight of the edges of a black cloak. 

There was only one kind of men here who would wear a black cloak whose edges were embroidered with red dragons.

Targaryen guards.

Had someone seen her?

Had the King noticed something?

Had there been anything that had given the King reason for anger?

She had only wanted those squires to be taught a lesson, why...

"Be quiet." A voice whispered against her ear, barely above a breath and Lyanna could feel her heart deciding to pound frantically in her chest now. And then other voices, voices coming closer, arguing about whether to kill the damn mystery knight right away or let him be dragged in front of the King, musing over whether or not he had brought his fire with him.

Lyanna broke out into a sweat under the leather padding she still wore above her breeches and Benjen's tunic, the voices of the two men came closer and then she watched with wide eyes how they passed so close by them on the small path that only one small glance would have given them away. 

She didn't dare breathe too deep or move a single finger until the voices of the men had passed away so far that they couldn't be heard anymore. Her captor let go of her and Lyanna stumbled some steps away from him, cursing herself for not having carried her dagger for a change, but it had not fit under the armor.

She whirled around, panic clawing at her throat, and found herself face to face with the Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms. In full black and red clothing, three headed dragon on his chest glinting in the faint rays of sunshine breaking through the canopy. 

"Did you injure yourself?"

What?

She stared at indigo eyes that shone with concern and worry as Prince Rhaegar Targaryen looked back at her, "Did you get hurt in the joust? I saw you limping just now and you are favoring your left side, the second lance hit your left shoulder quite hard." He spoke calmly, didn't move much, especially not towards her.

"It's...It's nothing really...Your Grace." She managed to croak out, sending a panicked look around, she should have dumped the armor and the shield into the first available spot and come back for it later to get rid of it properly. Now she was undeniably caught.  
"I don't believe it's nothing when your foot cannot even hold your weight properly, even now." Prince Rhaegar pointed down to her feet and Lyanna frowned down at them as well, wincing she tried to righten her weight and found her leg complaining with stabbing pain.

A hand caught her elbow when she listed to the side in her surprise and she looked up again, finding the Prince close again, eyes frowning now in clear concern. "May I take a look, my Lady? I only want to be sure it is nothing severe." Dazed now in her confusion and maybe even in true pain a little, her shoulder throbbing as well, Lyanna nodded and let herself be led over to a rock. She sat down and continued to stare at the Prince who went down on one knee before her, hands reaching for her right foot, fingers probing at her ankle.

She hissed when he found a sore spot and blinked at the quick apology that followed, was this the small moment of mercy before the execution followed? Rustling sounds from the direction of the deeper forest sounded and Prince Rhaegar glanced into the direction where he must have come from when someone called out his name from further away. Lyanna was stumped when he gently set her foot down onto the ground again before swinging himself back to his feet. She watched how he grabbed the shield with Benjen's beautiful drawing and stretched to fling it up into the canopy of the three she was sitting under, his foot nudging a gauntlet towards her to be hidden. Lyanna had just enough time to push it into a bush before a branch snapped on the other side of the fallen over tree and she whirled her head around as another figure swung himself over it in one graceful movement. Prince Rhaegar didn't let himself be disturbed at all, sending one last look up into the tree before he knelt down again to keep checking over her ankle that felt swollen somehow now too.

A fact her mind only distantly checked off, too preoccupied with gaping in pure terror at surprised lilac eyes that were staring down at her from the handsome face of Ser Arthur Dayne, the freaking Sword of the Morning. The Kingsguard, all silver white armor and legendary sword. The Knight's eyes then swooped over his Prince's form to the armor and shield still only half discarded in the tree trunk, the bushes and the branches.

She was done for.

Just simply done for.

If possible though Ser Arthur looked about as unable to cope with the situation as she felt.

Lilac eyes chose to stare daggers into the side of the Prince's head for a moment before they flickered right back over the armor, Lyanna could hear the wheels turning in the Kingsguard's mind.

"She sprained her ankle. Supposedly bruised her shoulder quite heavily, too." Prince Rhaegar spoke as if the Kingsguard had asked something, but those peculiar eyes were too busy frowning at the shield with the laughing weirwood tree. Lyanna preoccupied herself with staring at the Knight's reactions, eyebrows drawing together as realization bloomed, and flinched with a small cry of pain falling from her lips when a hand suddenly prodded against her shoulderblade. "Aye, definitely heavily bruised." Prince Rhaegar concluded and drew back again, standing back up, "Have you lost your mind, girl?"

"Someone needed to teach those squires manners when their lords won't!" Lyanna flared up and had Ser Arthur take a step back in surprise at her tone, Prince Rhaegar stood his ground.  
"And that had to be you?" He still snapped back at her quickly again, "Jousting is dangerous if you are unexperienced, especially if you are going against competitors who are not only taller and heavier than you but have actual experience. Who learned how to take a hit. Who learned how to fall properly without breaking their damn necks."

"I can ride better than all men I know."

"I didn't doubt that, now did I?" Prince Rhaegar challenged her back and every manner in Lyanna screamed at her to shut the hells up before she could make this even worse, the Prince continued before she could get a word in though, "And that riding talent and a whole good of luck kept you from breaking said neck. Did you even think about what could have happened? Men have lost full use of their arms before, after too hard hits against their shoulders. And what was the plan here now? Who would look after your injuries?"

"Why are you asking me all that when you're only here to kill me?" Lyanna snapped and forced herself back to her feet, ignoring the pain stabbing in her ankle, her eyes snapping away from the Prince to land on the Kingsguard who had slowly moved to stand at the Prince's left shoulder.  
"What makes you think I'm here to kill you?" Ser Arthur hissed at her, voice lowered but still showing how confused he was over her words, Lyanna was befuddled over his reaction, "What kind of reputation do I have in the North?" Ser Arthur wanted to know, he sounded almost hurt and by the gods, they say women are riddles, Lyanna thought to herself.

And here this supposed deadliest of all deadly Kingsguard Knights stood, looking at her like a kicked kitten.

"What makes you think I'm from the North?" She spit back at him and Ser Arthur reared his head up as if he couldn't believe what was happening, still his lilac eyes remained narrowed. He now reminded her a little of the old stable cat Winterfell had had when they were younger, eager to be liked but always suspicious after Benjen had pulled her tail one too many times.  
"Your accent." The Dornishman deadpanned at her – funny enough those two words let his own accent slip in – and there seemed to be a lot of other things he wanted to say but a look to the side had him shut up immediately. 

Lyanna followed his line of sight and the fear overruled the temper in her bones again when she spotted Prince Rhaegar's amused face.

"As entertaining as this truly is...Can I ask for your name, my Lady?" The Prince directed at her in his beautiful voice and though the small rebel in her said no, Lyanna still remembered her manners.  
"Lyanna Stark, Your Grace." She answered dutifully, lying would only make everything worse now, she had been found out, neither men would believe any story, even if she could come up with one.

"You're Brandon Stark's sister?" Ser Arthur spoke up again and Lyanna saw his fingers twitch, what had her brother done now.  
"That depends on what he has done." She replied in vague and the Knight opened his mouth but could only grunt when the Prince elbowed his side, they looked so normal.  
"Nothing." Prince Rhaegar said, quick look sent to Ser Arthur who huffed, seeming just one moment short of crossing his arms over his chest to pout like a disgruntled child, "You see, Lady Lyanna, we are in a rather precarious situation here. As my father wants to see the mystery knight brought to justice for conspiring against him."

"I only wanted to get justice for Lord Reed." Lyanna croaked out, panic seizing her again, rumors had it the king was seeing enemies and traitors everywhere now and that he preferred to see them burn rather than hand out justice any other way.  
"A noble endeavor, could have been handled with a little more thought." Ser Arthur muttered angrily and then turned around to inspect the armor after the Prince had sent him another look. 

Prince Rhaegar took a step towards her and Lyanna flinched back and sat down on the rock again, making him stop on the spot, "Lady Lyanna, I can assure you that neither Ser Arthur nor I have any intention to let you come to further harm." Lyanna narrowed his eyes at him, tried to find any hidden lies in his golden talking. "You don't believe me." Prince Rhaegar noted upon her reaction, and despite her flinching again he didn't let himself be kept from approaching her this time, crouching down in front of her again, he was so much taller than her. "What reputation has the crown, has my House suffered in the North that a young Lady cowers so much in front of the Crown Prince and the Kingsguard?"

"The North does not hold belief in titles alone, Your Grace, we believe in actions." Lyanna spoke her mind despite the voice in her head screaming at her to mind her manners, it sounded oddly like Benjen. Ser Arthur looked back over to her, he had grabbed the shield from the tree and was turning it over in his hands.  
"I am starting to take insult." He mumbled quietly and Lyanna saw how the Prince looked at her before he started laughing, a beautiful sound from a somber person like him, Lyanna had to smile despite the fear still gnawing at her bones.

"Be assured, my Lady, we will not hand you over to my father. I see that your intentions have been honorable, but I must warn you that the King has taken them as a slight against his person. I shall make sure this remains a secret." Prince Rhaegar promised her and Lyanna stared at him, was shocked over how quickly she was willing to trust him, "How many more people know about the identity of the mystery knight?"

"My little brother, only my brother. He will not tell anyone."

\--

"You need to bring him something, Rhaegar." Lyanna heard Ser Arthur speak up after a little bit of silence, "Think of something to explain the disappearance."  
"I'll take the shield." The Prince said, eyes set on the laughing tree of the shield that the knight had given him a moment ago, lost in thought. Lyanna kept silent, her shoulder was aching by now and even her foot couldn't be ignored any longer. 

Ser Arthur had stuffed the armor into a hollow of the old tree trunk Lyanna had started to drop it in upon having been found, only he had used more force, shoved it deeper and then covered it with rocks and branches. Only the shield remained, too big for the stump and Lyanna watched how the Prince kept on turning it in his hands.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

"Are you okay with playing the white knight who saved the maiden?" Prince Rhaegar began to talk again and Lyanna saw that she wasn't the only one frowning at him.  
"Very, very reluctantly." Ser Arthur replied painfully slowly, eyes narrowing at his Prince, "Can't you be the one?" Prince Rhaegar raised an eyebrow and despite the seriousness of the situation Lyanna had to bite back a smile. 

They were...so human. Just like two friends arguing, like Brandon and Rodrik.

She was also surprised over how they held themselves, with the Prince less so than with the Kingsguard Knight. All of Benjen's stories had always pointed to a warrior who lived and breathed his swordmanship but this man here seemed so...vulnerable.

"And be seen stepping out of the forest with a barefoot lady in my arms? Sure, Arthur, because white knight having saved the maiden from the foe is exactly what they'll see then. I would like to spare me, Elia and especially Lady Lyanna the talkings." Prince Rhaegar deadpanned at his friend and knight and Lyanna flushed when she got his meaning. "All they'll do when they see you is swoon again because valiant Ser Arthur proved his honor and decency again."

If the look on Ser Arthur's face was anything to go by, he liked that just as much as Lyanna liked it to be called a Lady, or a maiden who needed saving. Prince and Knight stared at each other for a good minute, a whole unspoken conversation seemed to pass between them before Ser Arthur gritted his teeth and visible tensed.

"I'll do it.“ He grouched himself through the words and then let out a defeated sigh, how odd that he was shying away from the attention and the praise. Wasn't that what knights were after? Glory and praise and maidens throwing themselves at them? Ser Arthur looked like any of that would make him physically ill when he asked “What's the story?"

This was confusing.

"You came upon the knight harassing Lady Lyanna while she was..." Indigo eyes glanced over to Lyanna and she spluttered for a moment while she thought, usually making up excuses came quicker to her but these two men had her too confused.  
"Walking, just walking, the people who know me won't be surprised." She offered and though both men raised an eyebrow, probably used to surroundings where girl weren't allowed to just wander off on their own, they took it.

Prince Rhaegar's eyes remained longer on her, as if she was a fascinating puzzle that he couldn't understand, his knightly friend simply looked like he couldn't get out of this sitation fast enough.

"Walking along the path. The mystery knight dropped his shield, grabbed her, a struggle ensued, you couldn't draw a sword because of the danger of hurting her. Lady Lyanna got injured, the mystery knight escaped but your honors of course kept you at her side. I came upon you and followed the knight." As far as stories went, it sounded believable, it was still difficult to fight down the scowl, a sentiment that Ser Arthur seemed to share with her. "You'll bring her back to her family, I'll search for Richard and Myles, show them the shield and then go and confront my father."

"Is that alright with you, Lady Lyanna?" Ser Arthur surprised her when he turned to her and observed her with curious eyes, Lyanna looked from him to the Prince and back again.  
"Yes." She said, because what choice did she have, every other option could lead to her secret unraveling and her falling under the king's paranoia and his need to punish all traitors to his rule.

No matter if it was just or sane or normal.

"You look a little too pristine for a struggle." Prince Rhaegar noted then with a hum and Lyanna saw how Ser Arthur turned around again slowly to face the Prince, a frown on his face and words on his lips. Words he couldn't speak for once he had turned around to face his Prince, Prince Rhaegar had thrown a good hand full of muddy forest ground in his face. Lyanna stared, speechless. "There, better, consider that payback for yesterday."

Ser Arthur spit out dirt and then wiped a hand over his face, all in perfect calm and patience, she reminded herself that he was an older brother. Lady Ashara didn't exactly look like someone who liked to throw her brother into the mud, but what did she know about how things looked behind the facades.

"Go. Go and find Richard and Myles, before I had time to get to your harp." Ser Arthur gritted out between his teeth, wiping leaves off of his face. Prince Rhaegar laughed and snatched up the shield before nodding to Lyanna one last time and then jogging off towards the forest path. She could hear how Ser Arthur took a deep breath before turning back to her, "For the record, I respect what you did." He said as she reluctantly let him pick her up.

"You do?"

"Of course. You wanted to do right by your friend, defend his honor. I respect that, still wish you would have asked someone to ride who had experience though." He told her as he walked them back down the hidden forest track to get back to the castle grounds.  
"The only one of my brothers who even understood why I was so set on defending Howland was Benjen and he is good with a lance, he really is, but he is only a child. I couldn't have asked that of him." Lyanna explained and Ser Arthur nodded.

"Aye, not every child is as stupid and reckless as Barristan the Bold. Your brother...small, thin...black hair? Comes up to about my waist?" He described someone who could be Benjen Lyanna guessed, "I've seen him around the trainings yard with your brother Brandon, watching the Kingsguard with wide eyes." Lyanna did not ask how he knew Brandon, she liked to be in the unknown when it came to her oldest brother, especially where it concerned Lady Ashara Dayne. "He's good..."

"But?" Lyanna prodded as around them the forest grew lighter and she could hear the distant sounds of the castle grounds, "I hear a but." Ser Arthur laughed, a sound almost as beautiful as the Prince's.  
"He could be better." Ser Arthur offered up with half an apology already in his kind eyes, "He is smaller than your brother and your Northern guards, thinner, more lean. I'm sure circumstances could still change, but if they don't, that Northern style of fighting...it may keep him from reaching his true potential. Tell me, Lady Lyanna, what does your brother want to be?"

Lyanna laughed, tried to imagine Benjen's face if he heard of this conversation, he would die of embarassment. 

"You, he wants to be you. A knight, a brave knight who does good." She told him and to her surprise, Ser Arthur Dayne flushed red and smiled weakly, right back to kicked kitten.  
"So my reputation is not ruthless killer after all in the North, hm?" He began and she smirked at him, Ser Arthur stepped out of the forest and onto the field that separated forest from the castle and its grounds where the tent camp lay around the tourney stands. "A knight, not something a Northern boy usually dreams of, I presume."

"He's different." Lyanna smiled, "Benjen is..." But she couldn't continue because it was said little brother who called her name in the next moment. They were close enough to the camp to have been spotted and Lyanna knew that Benjen would have been a mess of nerves after the King had called for the mystery knight to be brought before him. "Well, Ben is right there." He came running towards them but then spotted just who was carrying her and he froze, mouth gaping open and eyes going wide.

Then he whipped his head to look at her before going right back to stare at an amused Ser Arthur.

"Lya?" He wanted to know, small and scared, clearly knowing that something had went wrong, Lyanna did her best to smile at him despite her own doubt.  
"Everything is alright, I'll explain later, Ben. When we're alone." Lyanna stressed and stared at her brother until Benjen nodded, he fell in step with them. "Now, where is Brandon? He will need to look after his sister who got harassed by the mystery knight on her walk in the forest." She let her tone implicate that he had to run with it for the time, "And I am sure he will want to thank Ser Arthur for coming to my rescue."

Benjen snorted and then slapped a hand in front of his mouth, looking horrified but Ser Arthur simply started laughing.

"Brandon will never let you live that down, Lya." Benjen giggled and Lyanna groaned, they had arrived the campside by then. People were looking immediately and Lyanna would have persisted on walking alone if her foot wasn't hurting as much as it was. She quietly gave Ser Arthur directions to the Stark corner and then privately cursed when another white cloak broke through the crowd that had of course assembled like idiots again.

"Arthur?" 

She didn't recognize the knight coming towards them, but Benjen sure did, struggling to keep up with Ser Arthur's long strides.

"What happened?" The Kingsguard wanted to know in a quiet hiss, dark eyes flickering over Lyanna's form, falling in step on Ser Arthur's right side, "And where is Prince Rhaegar?" He was a tad bit smaller than Ser Arthur, his skin darker and his voice heavy with a rolling accent, Lyanna thought he had to come from Dorne, too. She could recall the name of the other Dornish Kingsguard though.

"Bloody bastard attacked the girl while he was fleeing. Rhaegar is with Richard and Myles, they're still going after him. I need to bring Lady Lyanna to her brothers, she got injured." It was downright scary how easy the words rolled off his tongue but when Lyanna glanced up at lilac eyes, she couldn't help but notice how unhappy he seemed about the lying.  
"Our White Knight, can't be a tourney where he doesn't save a damsel." The other Kingsguard chuckled and though Lyanna tried to keep it down, she couldn't.

She tried so hard.

A good half second she tried to pretend to be meek and stupid and helpless but she couldn't, especially not when Ser Arthur looked so deeply annoyed and frustrated over those words.

"I'm not a damsel! I was just caught unaware!" She hissed at both knights and where Ser Arthur smiled, his sworn brother raised his hands in apology without losing his steps. "If I had had my dagger and shoes, this fool would have not stood a chance against me. As it is, I am grateful for Ser Arthur's assistance." Two could play this game.

"Why don't you have shoes?" Benjen blurted out and Lyanna glared down at him, but Benjen was saved from a sharp rebuke when Brandon's voice called for her. He appeared with Ned and Ethan Glover from his tent.

"Lyanna, by the gods what happened, sister?"

And there it started.

Everything.

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who know the Howling series, I am planning on in time covering some moments that have been mentioned before but if there is something specific you can think of that you would love to read about from Harrenhall's great tourney, then please drop a word or so in the comments.
> 
> Hope this was fun to read.


End file.
